I'm Forgiven
by Numb3rsfan
Summary: Twelve year old Don Eppes makes a terrible mistake when he accidentally shoots his younger brother Charlie.  -COMPLETE-


**I'm Forgiven **

by

**Numb3rsfan**

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, possible AU/OOC

Disclaimer: Don't own Numb3rs

Summary: Twelve year old Don Eppes makes a terrible mistake when he accidentally shoots his younger brother Charlie.

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Twelve year old Don Eppes smacked his face to keep himself awake as he stared out the rain drop soaked window towards the wet outdoors. It had been raining now for most of the day and Don desperately wanted to go outside to play baseball. He had promised his friends that he'd meet them on the field that day but the rain had thwarted his plans for galactic baseball domination.

In the next room seven year old Charles Eppes, or Charlie as he liked to be called was sitting at the kitchen table going over the morning math lesson with his mother; his tutor having left for the day about an hour ago.

Thankfully Charlie had managed to stay out of his older brother's hair but Don knew it was only a matter of time before he would hear "_Donnie...!"_

Rolling his eyes Don left the den and marched upstairs to his bedroom. Upon entering the room he closed the door and picked up his baseball and glove; tossing the ball up in the air and smoothly catching it in the glove. Once...twice he did this. On the third toss he heard his mother yell "Donnie! Your father and I are going to bring back dinner. Watch your brother until we get back!"

Don had been so startled by this that he failed to catch the baseball, hearing it hit the floor hard. Sighing, Don picked the ball up, placing it on his bed before doing the same to the glove.

Two seconds after he heard the front door close he began a mental countdown. "Five...four...three...two...one..."

As if on cue, as soon as Don reached zero, the door to his bedroom opened. Charlie was standing there in the doorway, a grin on his face.

"What do you want Charlie?" Don asked with a short, bored sigh. He watched his younger brother plod in to the room and grab his baseball bat.

"Hey whoa whoa! Who said you could pick up my bat?" Don questioned, rising up from his bed and quickly taking the bat from his brother.

"Hey!" Charlie shot back, obviously wanting to hold the bat but the look on his brother's face quickly quieted him down.

Don had just put the bat back in its place when he saw his brother pick up the one and only trophy he had earned in a baseball game. Alarmed that Charlie might drop and break it Don yelled, "Put that back! Don't touch it!" This was said in a gruff, angry manner and Charlie was so startled that he dropped the trophy on Don's bed.

Rushing over Don grabbed the trophy and quickly inspected it. Once satisfied that it was undamaged, Don turned on his brother, grabbing the youngster by the collar and hauling him out of the room.

"Charlie, do me a big big favor and STAY OUT!" After saying this, Don slammed the bedroom door shut in Charlie's face. Don was glad that his parents were out of the house; his mother would have never put up with his attitude towards his brother. Still near the door, Don put his ear to it in time to hear his brother's choked sobs.

Rolling his eyes Don could just imagine Charlie's tear filled eyes as he slowly headed to his own bedroom.

Shrugging, Don turned away from the door and headed back to his bed.

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Forty minutes later Alan and Margret Eppes still hadn't returned. Don was still in his bedroom getting hungrier by the minute. Picking himself up off the bed Don left his bedroom and headed downstairs. He passed the washroom, the bathroom and his parents room. When he reached Charlie's room Don glanced in; it was just a glance but it was enough.

Don had been wholly assigned to keep walking but what he saw in Charlie's bedroom made him stop in a panic. There on the bedroom floor, leaning against the bed was Charlie, Alan's 9 millimeter pistol clutched in the boy's hand.

Gulping, Don slowly entered Charlie's room; his hands held out in front of him. To Don it was obvious the boy thought it was a fake gun; a nerf perhaps but Don knew better.

"Charlie," Don began in a calm voice, "give me the gun Charlie."

The younger Eppes brother looked up; red, puffy eyes telling a sad tale; a tale of imagined abandonment.

Charlie shook his head, clutching the gun tighter. "No!" he proclaimed, "it's mine!"

Slipping in to angry, big brother mode Don just grabbed the gun by the barrel, trying to just yank it from Charlie's young hands but Charlie held fast and the jerking motion just served to drag the younger boy to his feet.

"Charlie...let...go!" Don said in between jerks, but Charlie was adamant in the shakes of his head. "No!" he began, "You let go!"

This was getting nowhere and the situation was becoming more and more dangerous but Don wasn't just going to let Charlie keep the gun so instead of trying to keep yanking the gun out of Charlie's hands, Don used his strength to tackle Charlie to the floor; or at least attempt to do so. He got the boy on to his back; the gun between the two of them.

Teeth gritted, Don put his hand over his baby brother's and yanked one more time.

**#BAM#**

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Don fell back as the sound of the gun going off ricocheted around the house. Gulping in air, he looked at his baby brother; the 9 millimeter gun laying on a young chest that was slowly becoming covered in blood.

Shaking, Don reached out a hand to his brother and it was at this time that Don noticed the blood spatter on his shirt and face. Paling, Don just looked at the pain etched face of his brother.

"It hurts...it hurts!" Charlie gasped; back arching because of the pain. It was this cry that seemed to jar Don from his state; so much so that he removed his white t-shirt, balled it up and placed it over the gunshot wound.

"Charlie...I'm so sorry!" Don said, feeling tears now streaming down his own face. He couldn't believe this had happened; not to Charlie, not to his baby brother! And all because he had been trying to take the gun away!

A pained yelp from Charlie caused Don to cringe. "Please don't die Charlie...please don't die!" Don begged. He didn't want to be responsible if Charlie did die but then again...wasn't he already responsible for Charlie getting shot? His mother had asked him to take care of Charlie and all Don had managed to do was get his baby brother shot.

Hearing something in the living room, Don raised a tear stained face to the door in time to hear his mother yell up, "Donnie, Charlie we are home!"

Don had never been so glad to hear his mother's voice in his whole entire life because just milliseconds after his mother finished speaking Don gave a tearful yell, "MOM! DAD! COME QUICK...PLEASE!"

Closing his eyes, Don heard two pairs of footsteps run up the stairs. "Donnie what is..." there it was...the pause from his mother, just before... "Oh my God...CHARLIE!"

Opening his eyes, Don felt fresh tears on his face, though he managed to keep pressure on the wound even as Margret grabbed Charlie, holding the pale child close to her chest.

"ALAN!" she shrieked, tears now running down her face, "DO SOMETHING!"

Alan, although he was in shock, managed to grab the phone and call 911. It took approximately seven minutes from the time he placed the call until the paramedics had arrived. Once they arrived, everything became a blur to Don. He barely registered the fact that Charlie was loaded up on to a stretcher; an oxygen mask being placed on his young, pale face, nor the fact that the floor was now stained with Charlie's blood.

As if on auto-pilot Don moved with his parents, climbing in to the car's backseat while Alan got in the driver's seat. Margret climbed in to the ambulance; wishing to ride with her son all the way to the hospital.

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Don sat in the hospital room all by himself while his parents talked with Charlie's doctors. It had been close; so very close. The bullet had nicked Charlie's heart; requiring surgery but apparently Charlie had come through with flying colors given the circumstances. Eyes going to the small boy almost ingulfed in the large bed, Don watched the slow rise and fall of Charlie's chest; noting the O2 mask and the different IV's. It scared him to know that he had been the cause of his brother's near death experience.

Reaching over, Don took Charlie's small, limp hand in his slightly larger, warm hand. All of the blood had been cleaned off of Charlie; Don for his part wore a hospital robe because he didn't have a t-shirt; having given that up to help stop the bleeding from Charlie's chest.

"Charlie I'm so sorry I..." Don paused, not even knowing where to begin with his apology. He had done so many things to his brother; most of them mean and it had taken a bullet to Charlie's chest for him to realize that.

"I wish I could take back what happened. I never should have yelled at you." Don whispered. He felt his bottom lip quivering; felt the tears well up in his eyes again. He wasn't good at making apologies; letting his emotions show but he felt he owed Charlie at least that much.

Biting his lip, Don squeezed Charlie's limp hand as he leaned forward a bit more. "I promise you Charlie, once you get well I'll teach you how to play baseball. I'll even let you use my bat and glove." He said.

Both items were his prized possessions; besides the trophy but this accident had caused Don to realize there were more important things in life; namely his family...and his brother.

After he finished speaking, Don had lowered his head, finally allowing the tears to fall once more. He didn't notice a few tears fall on to the hand that he held but after a few seconds he did register a slight squeeze on his hand.

Head quickly lifting up, Don wiped away the tears on his face as his eyes washed over Charlie's young face; noting that his eyes were open...his eyes were open!

A genuine smile cracked over Don's face at this; a smile that he just couldn't contain.

"Charlie..." he whispered; his pearly whites showing in that grin of his. It gladness in his heart, Don noticed a small smile appear on Charlie's face as well.

"...you mean it...Donnie...?" Charlie asked softly, "...you mean what...you said?"

Immediately Don nodded his head, "I sure do Charlie. I'll teach you everything I know about baseball; I swear."

The smile remained on Charlie's face and the squeeze of Don's hand told Don that Charlie had accepted the offer.

As Don watched Charlie fall asleep, he couldn't help but grin. That acceptance from Charlie was more than just an acceptance to learn about baseball, it was forgiveness; something that Don was very thankful and grateful to receive from his brother.

It was then that Don knew his baby brother would be alright...Charlie would live...and Don wouldn't have it any other way.

_**~THE END~**_


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